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Holder: Can I contribute in a 2nd term?

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Holder: "I will have to think about -- can I contribute in a second term?"

He also would have to ask himself: "Do I have some gas left in the tank?"

And he says he needs to discuss his future with the president and with his family

Holder has developed a strong personal relationship with Obama

Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday he has not yet decided whether to remain in his Cabinet post during President Barack Obama's second term.

Answering a question during an appearance at the University of Baltimore Law School, Holder said he would discuss the question with the president and with his family before making any decision about how long to remain as attorney general.

Before the election, Holder also said he did not know how long he might continue to serve if the president were to be re-elected.

Thursday Holder expanded slightly on previous comments about his personal plans. "That's something that I'm in the process now of trying to determine," Holder told the law students. "I will have to think about -- can I contribute in a second term?"

He later added, "Do I think that there are things that I still want to do? Do I have gas left in the tank? It's been an interesting and tough four years. I just really don't know. I don't know at this point."

The attorney general served four years as deputy attorney general under Attorney General Janet Reno, who held that post all eight years of the Clinton administration. Using a baseball metaphor, Holder said he viewed Reno as "the Lou Gehrig" of attorneys general for fighting through eight long and difficult years in the post. Holder joked he didn't need to be a "Cal Ripken" for setting a record of longevity.

Holder has developed a strong personal relationship with Obama during the past four years, and observers assume he would have the option of remaining in the post if he chose to do so.

But Holder acknowledged to his former assistant attorney general, Ron Weich, now dean of the Baltimore University Law School, that it is a grinding, grueling job.